The city of Las Vegas is home to many pests, and I’m not talking about all the smut peddlers that frequent the streets of The Strip. Scorpions, roaches, spiders, and ants are really easy to find; but have you ever tried to find them in a word search puzzle? The pest professionals at Bulwark Exterminating, who have a branch in Las Vegas, put together a fun social media piece… A pest word search puzzle.

Wanna see?

The Pest Word Search Puzzle

The word search puzzle that you see above, was shared on Facebook, and participants were asked to comment on the puzzle the first pest that they found. The results were quite interesting; and impressive. Some 12,500 plus participants took part.

Wanna know how the first pest you found stacked up to the other 12,500 plus participants? Well, look no further than the following infographic:

Pest Word Search Infographic

How’d You Fare On The Pest Test Puzzle?

After searching the pest test word search, and noting the first pest you found; then comparing it to the other participants, how’d you fare? Did you find all the pests listed, and a few non-pests? Was one of your greatest fears, i.e. scorpion or spider, one of the first pests you found?

Please feel free to comment the first pest you find below in the comments section.

Self-storage units and public storage lockers have many obvious benefits. There is always a need for extra space and the benefit of having an uncluttered house drives many to take advantage of this option. In many cases, items are packed up without much thought and dropped into an aluminum locker. There is usually no more time spend on the storage unit once the lease is signed and door is closed. Once treasured personal belongings are now sitting, alone in the dark, never to be heard from again. Well, so maybe it is not all that dramatic. But, there are some unpleasant things that can happen when personal belongings are haphazardly left in storage. The problems are actually twofold. The first would be due to owner neglect, and the second would be due to dilapidated facilities.

Owner Neglect

Some people simply do not take care to thoughtfully pack items in preparation for storage. This is a fairly easy fix, and just requires some time and diligence. There are a few common sense ways to protect items from damage during packing, moving and storing. Any glass or delicate items should be properly cushioned in newspaper, bubble wrap or even blankets to protect them from accidental breakage. To prevent clothing from being eaten by moths or made into a home by other insects, place them in airtight container or use moth balls throughout the unit as a deterrent to bugs. Clearly label each box, tote or bag to indicate what contents are inside and if any special instructions (such as “fragile” or “flammable”) apply. Finally, do not use any boxes that once contained food to store any objects that insects may be remotely interested in exploring. Even aged scents may attract new insects for vermin to a storage unit.

Neglected Facilities

Although property owners have the best of intentions, not every compound can be a Keyport Self Storage. Beyond that, there are certain unavoidable effects of aging. Once solid building structures can become corrupt over time by weather, misuse, mistreatment, and infestations. Some of these issues area avoidable, but some are just par for the course and a part of nature that must be accepted. For example, rust occurs when metals are constantly exposed to the elements and oxidation forms. This can be regularly treated through cleaning processes, proper irrigation and special paints that are rust resistant. However, nothing can fully prevent rust from forming. It is up to the property management to keep an eye on the affected areas and make any necessary adjustments and maintenance to the property. Rusty buildings create holes that small rodents and large insects can easily enter to wreak havoc on the contents. The most common insects to enter closed in spaces are termites, spiders, water bugs and bees or wasps during nesting season. The cool, dark spaces are ideal for exploration and making webs, nests or cocoons that will not be disturbed. Period and consistent treatments with effective pesticides will eliminate this problem and prevent future infestations. Likewise, educating the public and encouraging renters to understand their responsibilities will help the overall health and longevity of the storage unit and property.

As seen in his G-to-the-Plus zone, Mr. Holdeman helps maintain a marketing business. He grew up in lovely Cali.

Before any home-purchase contract is ever signed, a potential home-buyer should, most definitely, have an official home-inspection performed on the property. In fact, the inspection should be included in the actual contract as a condition of closing the sale. Some things that could be uncovered might be structural malfunctions, electrical systems not up to code, defective roofing, dry rot and pest infestations, etc.

But even before an inspection is performed, an official disclosure, in writing from the seller, should be obtained. With that being said, however, that disclosure should not be considered all-inclusive. Any number of home-owners #1) may not even be aware of any possible hazards or malfunctions which means, of course, they would not even be reported and #2) an on-going problem that a seller has lived with for years may be honestly ‘forgotten’ by him or her, and not divulged.

Putting It All Together:

#1: Do Your Own Inspection:

This should be accomplished before any formal inspection is scheduled and could be done before an offer is made, as well. Ask the seller if he or she is willing to have you come in to look around and make notations. If the homeowner has nothing or little to hide, they will welcome the request.

Eyeballing every nook and cranny is vital since big problems can hide is small spaces. One scrutinizing, prospective buyer, with the help of a magnifying lens, noticed incredibly small bugs nestled inside one bedroom’s baseboards, only to discover they were nocturnal bedbugs—a nightmare that is almost impossible to get rid of. A new homeowner bought a beautiful four year-old residence and discovered, shortly after moving in, cockroaches would scatter when the kitchen light was turned on in the wee-hours of the morning. Know the home before it becomes a part of your family!

#2: The Seller’s Inspection Report:

At the risk of sounding mean-spirited, don’t trust an inspection report the seller may voluntarily provide. Certainly accept it, but use it as an initial part of the inspection process, and nothing more. It could be very valid and accurate, but as stated earlier, problems could exist that the homeowner genuinely isn’t even aware of. One shoddy home builder in a small community was out to save money and built homes whose electrical systems were below code; and were fire hazards waiting to happen. How the homes passed inspection remained a mystery.

#3: A Professional Inspection:

Hiring a seasoned pro, who knows exactly what to look for, is your peace of mind! A veteran professional should take a good 2-3 hours to examine everything from the roofing, to the exterior siding, plumbing, electrical and heating systems, drainage, foundation, drywall, gutters etc. If at all possible, be available during the inspection to ask questions and get a feel for what problems might be very minor or any revelations that could be a reason for real concern, such as asbestos or lead.

Those Pesky Varmints:

As per LRETX.com, request a pest report! A licensed, structural pest-control inspector thrives on finding pesky, living things in or around a home that could pose a health risk and/or structural damage. He’ll look for:

If nothing is found that would compromise the sale of the house; you’re good to go! If potential problems were uncovered, you have justification to negotiate the selling price or you can back out, assuming your contract has allowed you to do so.

But the bottom line remains: have any potential residence thoroughly inspected since you have way too much at stake not to!

Residing in Nebraska as a retired educator, Karen spends much of her time writing about the real estate industry.

Spring cleaning is a time to start fresh. For many families, that means getting rid of clutter, scrubbing down surfaces and implementing new organizational systems. Although not often thought about, pest prevention should be part of the spring cleaning process as well. As temperatures increase, a wide variety of pests make their move on unsuspecting homeowners. To keep them at bay, it is important to implement the following tips.

Take Away Their Food Source

If pests are able to find food inside your house, it is going to be difficult to get rid of them. Start the prevention process in your kitchen. Make sure that your trash can has a tight fitting lid; if it does not, consider picking up a new one. Also, clean both the outside and inside of your receptacle. A small tear in your trash bag can mean a large mess that pests will find appetizing. Finally, commit yourself to daily maintenance. It is important that you load your dishwasher each evening rather than allowing dishes to remain in the sink. In addition, keep the counters clean and the floors swept for best results.

Clean Up Standing Water

Go into all of your bathrooms, as well as your kitchen, and check under the sinks to make sure the pipes are not leaking. If you spot an issue, have it corrected as soon as possible. In addition, if you have an area of your home, like the basement, that seems damp or humid, set up a dehumidifier to take care of the problem. Pests are attracted to water, so leaving these issues unresolved is a recipe for disaster.

Prevent Nesting

Walk around the perimeter of your home, and examine the foundation closely. In order to keep bugs from viewing your home as their home, it may be necessary to complete a few projects. For instance, there should be at least once inch of space between the wood on your home and the soil from the yard. In addition, all mulch should be kept approximately a foot and a half away from the foundation. Finally, if you notice any cracks or small holes, make sure you close them up right away.

As a general rule, it is also a good idea to make sure that all your doors and windows have screens on them. This will make it much more difficult for a pest to gain access to your living space. In addition, keep all shrubbery trim and down away from your home.

As you get ready to begin the spring cleaning process, it is important not to forget about pest prevention. A little bit of work now can make a huge difference when warmer weather rolls around.

Featured images:

Morgan is a proud mother, who enjoys spending her days discovering fun and interesting things to do with her young son. At night, she is an avid writer and solves all her pest problems with the help of a Jersey City Pest Control company.

Ants

Ants are social insects. They are also considered generalist predators, scavengers and indirect herbivores. This pest has colonized almost every landmass in the World. The only regions that lack indigenous ants, are Antarctica and a few large islands; such as Greenland, Iceland, (parts of) Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. These common pests form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals, to highly organized colonies which sometimes occupy large areas; consisting of millions of ants.

Las Vegas Ants

The city of Las Vegas has several ant species that can be a nuisance. They also can cause pain from stings/bites; they can spoil your food, and damage and your property. The Las Vegas ant scene is dominated primarily by the Argentine ant and the Pharaoh ant.

Argentine Ants

Though the Argentine Ant is a small, non-stinging ant, it is very territorial and aggressive and will drive away or kill competing ant species. They make a chemical called iridomyr-mecin which they smear on their enemies to kill them or make them run away. Neighboring colonies of Argentine ants appear not to be aggressive toward each other, allowing for the rapid spread and domination of this species. More…

Pharaoh Ants

Tiny pharaoh ants become a huge problem when they inhabit structures. Colonies can become very large, with several hundred thousand workers and many queens. In response to repellent chemicals, colonies often split off into new colonies. Workers will forage for food hundreds of feet from the colony and find their way back using trails established by pheromones. Pharaoh ants have a strong desire for moisture and nests may be established in almost any void or large crevice, as well as outdoors in the soil under debris or objects. More…

Ants attack and defend themselves by biting, and in some cases; stinging. An ant sting often results in the injection, or spraying, of a chemical like formic acid. As such, some ant species are widely considered a pest control problem. Unfortunately, because of the adaptive nature of most ant colonies, eliminating the entire group is nearly impossible. Therefore, it becomes a matter of controlling the local pest population, rather than exterminating the entire colony.

If you are a Las Vegas resident, and need help controlling the ant population around your home, contact a local pest control professional today! Whether it’s Argentine, Fire, or Black Ants you are dealing with, a pest control professional will have a solution to your ant problem

Hi, my name is Brian and I am writing this to inform you of the recent ant activity in the Las Vegas area. Here at Pest Control Las Vegas, we have noticed a dramatic increase in calls and emails for help with ants. Here are a couple of email calls for help:

“Ants surrounding house and beginning to come inside.”

“This is a rental home of mine and the tenants are having an ant infestation that I need to get a quote on and taken care of as soon as possible.”

“Since we moved into our new home we tried to get the ants under control. But as soon as we destroy ons hill, they just build another one. There are ant holes and hills all over the yard. We tried natron allready and hot water but nothing helps.”

If you have noticed similar problems, we can help. Call us today. We are 94% recommended and 100% guaranteed. We look forward to hearing from you.